Stocking reinforcement



a 26 19%. w. M. GROSSE V STOCKING REINFORCEMENT Filed Aug. 17, 1939 gwua/n ooo l/V/LL/AM M GEOSSE Patented Nov. 26, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFiCE STOCKING REINFORCEMENT Washington, D. C.

Application August 17, 1939, Serial No. 290,705

3 Claims.

This invention pertains to an improvement in stockings and, more particularly, to full-fashioned knit stockings having reinforced areas at the points of greatest wear.

While it has been previously proposed to reinforce the sole, heel and toe portions of a stocking,

it has now been found that the points of greatest friction occur around the top and bottom parts of the foot portion adjacent the toe pocket from the inner point of the sole pointex to the outer or selvage edge of the sole.

An object of the present invention is to reinforce these areas of greatest wear and to knit into the stocking additional reinforcing threads or to make use of heavier threads at these points.

A further object of the invention is to knit integral reinforced areas into the full-fashioned stocking blank directly back of the toe pocket with the reinforcing areas extending rearwardly in the form of triangles having their base portions coinciding with the rear line of the toe pocket and extending from the longitudinal bot-' tom seam of the sole to adjacent the medial line of the upper body portion. The apices of the triangular areas are defined by the oblique sides meeting at the edge of the conventional sole reinforcing section.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 illustrates a full-fashioned hosiery blank illustrating the component parts of a stocking with the reinforced areas of the present invention shown in heavy lines;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a finished stocking embodying the improvements;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the bottom of the finished stocking.

Specifically in the drawing numeral I denotes the leg and foot body threads of a full-fashioned stocking, while numerals 2 indicate conventional sole reinforcing portions covering the bottom of the stocking and extending around the heel portion.

It is customary to knit the body portion l with a single carrier, while adding a reinforcing thread to the single body thread to form the sole portions 2, although the reinforcing may be by means of a. heavier thread. The improved construction includes substantially equilateral triangular shaped reinforcing areas 3 which are knit into the foot portion of the stocking by either a plurality of carriers and threads or by the use of heavier threads.

The apices of these reinforcing areas extend from the upper edges of the sole reinforcements to adjacent the longitudinal medial line of the upper part of the body portion. The base line 4 of the triangular reinforcing areas coincides with the inner edge of the toe pocket 8 and the triangles extend rearwardly to point 5 coinciding with the first thread of the sole reinforced area. Numerals 6 denote adjacent corners of the triangles where they terminate on the base line 4, while' numerals 1 indicate the opposite ends of the base line which terminate under the foot portion of the stocking. The adjacent corners of the areas may be arranged to terminate precisely on the base line or slightly above said line as shown. 1

The toe pocket which is customarily reinforced with an additional single thread is indicated by numerals 8 with the toegores marked by numerals 9.

In forming the preferred form of finished stocking the under parts of the reinforced areas are joined for a short distance along the longitudinal bottom seam ill with the inner base points 6 slightly spaced apart to give the characteristic sole pointex and diamond point of full-fashioned stockings.

Stockings made in accordance with this invention are found to outwear other types and insure long use by the wearer due. to the reinforcing areas which prevent excessive strain and wear at the points of greatest friction and foot flex.-

What Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A full-fashioned stocking blank having a knit foot portion and reinforced toe, sole edge and heel portions, additional reinforced portions in the form of substantially equilateral triangular shaped areas extending rearwardly from the said toe portion, the base lines of the said triangular shaped reinforcing areas meeting at substantially the center of the under part of said toe portion and extending around and encompassing the sole edge reinforcements adjacent the toe pocket, the opposite ends of the base lines of the triangular areas terminating in spaced relation on the upper part of said foot portion.

2. A stocking blank as described in claim 1, wherein the apices of the triangles are aligned with the upper edges of the reinforced sole portions.

3. A full-fashioned knit stocking including a foot portion and an integral leg portion, a joining seam running throughout the'length of said foot portion on the bottom thereof, a toe pocket knit into the forward part of said foot portion and tapered knit reinforced sections extending rearwardly from the said toe pocket on either side of the foot portion, the areas of the said tapered reinforced sections being substantially equilateral triangles, and having their bases coincident with the rear edge of the toe pocket, and extending from the bottom seam around the sides of the foot portion to adjacent the upper center point of said rear edge.

WILLIAM MAURICE GROSSE. 

